Track construction



Jan. 9, 1940. T G. F. wE|NRE|cH TRACK CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 27. 1937 WN um Patented Jan. 9, 1940 l l I George F.:I Weinreivch, zCihi'cagoQ, Ill.; i, assigner' to vScale-Models; Inc., lhicago, lllr'.,a'corporation` of Illinois yApplication September 27, 193i, ,(Serial No. 165,803 o fr Crimeweasely The present inventionrelates in general to an improved track construction for model or miniature railroads.` l

The invention contemplates as a primary object a novel track construction yutilizing improved means whereby the various elements may be easily 1Ill aligned, positioned and secured in assembled relation in such manner as to enable its being produced at decreased manufacturing cost.

A further object is to ,provide inA a model or miniature railroad track, an improved bed plate construction and novel means for insulatingly sei' curing the rails thereto.

AIt is also an object of l to provide an improved tie construction and means for securing the rails, ties and ties plates in their proper relationship.

A still further object is to provide an improved track section embodying novelmeans for securing a plurality of track sections in end to end relationship. l'

Other objects and features 'of the invention will more fully appear fromthe following detailed description taken-in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates a single vembodirnent, vand in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of vminiature s railway track constructed in' accordance with the principles ofthe present invention, portions being successively broken away to more `clearly illustrate the cooperative relationship of the various elements composing the same;

. Figure'2 is an enlarged transverse sectionalview of the same taken substantially on line II---IIA of Figure 1; V v s Figure 3 is an enlarged end View looking at the end of the strip material-constituting a series of tie plates an-d means for interconnecting the abutting ends of aligned rail sections; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of said strip.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 illustrates the invention as being embodiedin a track section comprising an elongated base plate IIlwhich supports a series of ties AII upon which track'rails I2 and I3 are mountedin parallel spaced relation.

Mounted on top of the ties, in spaced relation, are tie plate strips I4 of any suitable material and construction but preferably of relatively thin metal. Each tie plate strip is composed of an elongated connecting portion I5 having cross elements I6 at spaced intervals 4along the strip corresponding to the distance between the ties` II so that each of the cross elements will overlie a tie l as shown in Figure 1.

the present invention While leach tieplate may,'.if preferred, be secureduto the `railgi'this is,y not necessary as the rail will be supported rigidly in place if'onlya" portion'of the, tie plates are in fact secured to the lower 'flange of the rail. For .this purpose, 5

thetie plates which 'areto be secured to the rails are1 provided withvstruck up bendable ears or ngers I'I arranged in opposed relationship on eitherl side ofthe center line of the stripand so spaced as toreceive the bottom portion of the rail which l0 is placed thereon. y The tie plateswhich are secured to the rails in the' manner described above are also preferably provided at the tie plate ends with downwardly will be subsequently explained.

vInstead of providingindividual ties, as is the usual practice, the-ties in they present invention are formedas. a part of an elongated strip I9 wherein the ties'Il are connected together at 20 their endportion's by integrally formedv laterally disposed-members 20and 2 I, as shown in Figure l. These members areso positioned as to maintain thev ties in parallel aligned'spaced relationship and underlie the rails and connecting portions 25 I4 of the tie plate strip.

The ties II which are associated with the'tie plates that are connected to the lower flange of `the rails by means of fingers I 1 are provided with spaced openings 22-22 in their end portions for 30 receiving respectively the downwardly struck iingers Iii-I8, as shown in Figure 2. i

With vthe construction just described, it will be apparent'that the tie plates,` by means of the upwardly struck and downwardly struck fingers, 36 provide connecting means between the rails, tie plate strips, and tie strip, whereby these elements are definitely aligned and held in correct operative relationship.

By reference to' Figurei2, it will be observed 40 that the base plate I0 has its laterall edge portions downwardly deiiected as shown at- 23- 23 to forminclined supports `and raise the'track bed. The deflected edge portions 23 also strength- Ven the bed plate longitudinally. This construc- 45 tion not only provides a rigid support for the lrails vand ties, but simulates the ballasted road bed of a real railroad track.

At the position of each tie plate, which is se cured `to the rails, the bed plate I0 isv provided 50- vcally insulated relative to each other.

I on opposite sides of an associated rail and provide adapted to respectively receive therethrough the downwardly struck fingers I8 of those tie plates which are connected to the rails. By clinching over the ends of these fingers against the under surface of the strip 26, the strip 26 will be held in tight engagement with the under surface of the bed plate I9. The strip 2B is retained against. l

longitudinal movement relative to the base plate by means of lugs 28 which may be downwardly struck from the end edge portions of the bed plate |0.

In cases where the novel track construction described herein is to be used with miniature railway rolling stock propelled by electric motors, it is necessary that the respective rails be electripurpose, the herein novel construction yis particularly adapted. By `constructing the tie strip i9 andthe strips 2i'-26 underlying each rail of `suitable insulating material, such as ber, the

rails will be nsulatingly supported relative to the bed plate I0.

The present invention also embodies improved means whereby track sectionsas shownin Figure l, may be easily and, quickly secured together in end to end relationship to form a continuous track construction. Referring to Figure 4, the tie plate strips are extended at one end as shown at 29. This extension is provided with opposed inwardly deiiected side portions 30-'30 which are adapted to slidably receive in `an endwise direction the abutting ends of the rails of the interconnected track sections.

As shown in Figure l, it will be noted that it will only be necessary to provide the extension 29 in connection with one' oi the rails at the ends of a track section. The 'other rail is extended past the end of the bed plate lll so as lto be re'- ceived by a similar extension carried by the rail section which is to'be interconnected therewith. The tie plate strips including the extension 29 are, therefore, similarly constructed and in the case of a particular section are mounted thereon in reversed relationship, that is, the extension of one of the tie plate strips will be disposedy at one end of the track sections, whereas the extension 29 of the other tie plate strip .will beV similarly disposed at the opposite end of lthe track section.

The novel track construction, as described herein, is particularly advantageous from the standpoint of manufacture in that the parts are secured together by bendable struck up and struck down ngers, thus making it unnecessary to utilize individual fasteners such as spikes, ete. in order tol completely assemble the track elements. w

From the foregoing description, it will be ap parent that the herein described invention provides a novel track construction for model or miniature railroads which utilizes improved means for aligning, positioning and securing the various elements in assembled relation; which includes an improved bed plate construction and means rfor insulatingly securing the rails thereto; which embodies improved tie and tie plate constructions; and which utilizes novel means for securing a plurality of track sections in end to end relationship to form a continuous track structure- 'Ihe invention has been described herein more or less precisely as to details, yet it is to be understood'that the invention is not to be limited thereby, as changes may be made in the arrangement andproportion of parts, and equivalents may be substituted, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim .as my invention: y

l. A track construction for miniature railroads comprising an elongate bed plate, a iirst strip of insulating material extending lengthwiseon the underside of said plate, a second strip oi' insulating material on the upper siuface of said plate having spaced transverse portions simulating ties and rail underlying portions connecting the transverse portions, a rail overlying the second strip and abovev the rst strip, any elongate mea a bed plate, a strip of insulatingv material having a plurality of integrally formed interconnected tie simulating portions, elongate sheet metal strips disposed on top of said tie portions, and rails mounted on said metal strips, said metal strips having lateral extensions at the locations of said tie portions projecting beyond the side edges ofv said rails and` formed to simulate tieplates, elongate insulating strips on the underside of the bed plate respectively disposed below said rails, means connectingvthe metal strips to their associated rails, and means connecting the metal strips with their associated strips of insulating material, said latter means being in insulated relation to said plate.

3. A model track construction for model railroads, comprising'a bed plate, an insulation strip disposed on the upperfsurface of said `bed plate, tie plates onl said strip, and rails mounted on tcp of ysaid tie plates; said stripv having transversely extending bar portions at the location of the tie plates formed to simulate ties, and further having connecting portions between the bar portions underlying the rails sol as to be substantially hidden from view by said rails; means for holding said strip to said rail, and means for holding said stripy to said base plate. I i

GEORGE-F. WEINREICH. 

